From Landestreu to Landestreu

This is my maternal grandfather. His name was Jacob Besler and he was born on 28 December 1883 in Landestreu a town in Galicia, a province in what was then the Austro-Hungarian empire.

From the writer's collection

Landestreu was a small town populated by members of Jacob's extended family - Baumungs, Kandels, Lowenbergers and Beslers (spelled Bößler in this town map. 

Courtesy of GalizienGermanDescencants.org

Beslers were among the earliest residents of Landestreu moving from Germany in the 1770s. The Austro-Hungarian Empire invited foreign settlers into its newly acquired province of Galizien. German settlers found the offers of transportation and special status attractive and moved east.

More emigration was to come, this time westward. In 1872 the Dominion Land Act was enacted by Canada's Parliament. For a $10 registration fee a settler would receive 160 acres of land. He would have to live on the land for six months of the year for three years, clear at least 30 acres, erect a house worth at least $300 and be a naturalized British citizen. Canadian officials actively recruited in Europe for immigrants to settle western Canada.

Library and Archives Canada, collecitonscanada.gc.ca

Some of the first settlers to take advantage of the Act were residents of Landestreu. They moved to Saskatchewan in 1890 and founded a village also named Landestreu in honour of their home in Galicia. The name of the town was eventually to changed to MacNutt in 1909 in honour of Thomas MacNutt, who was the Member of the Legislative Assembly at the time. But in 1902 it was still called Landestreu and this was the town that Jacob Besler emigrated to.

I have not yet been able to find Jacob on a passenger list but hope one day to locate him. I like to picture him heading for North America with other young men from his town, perhaps some of the Baumung and Kandel cousins who show up on Census records in the same part of Saskatchewan. He appears to have left Galicia in 1902 as his passport shows that year as does his land patent application. He was 18 years old

From the writer's collection

Jacob's passport lists his employment as "wagner" (wagon driver or wagon maker). Perhaps his opportunities were limited in the small village of Landestreu. No doubt the lure of free land beckoned.

By 1910 Jacob had met all the Land Act requirements and successfully claim his property. In reviewing his file I found that he had returned his first plot of land as it was too rocky to farm

Taken by the writer June 2018

The first land was granted to another settler; Jacob had more luck with is second grant of land which he took possession of in 1906.

Saskatchewan Archives Board, Department of the Interior

The immigration agents did not tell potential immigrants how hard it was to farm in Canada. They did not tell them how harsh the prairie winters were. But the farmers carried on. My grandparents married in 1915. A wife and family were needed to help farm as hired help were few and far between. My grandmother Bena and the older Besler children were expected to help with chores. My mother was the youngest girl and didn't have too many chores during the farm years. Here she is as a baby.

And with her Dad outside the family home.

From the writer's collection

The family resided in the log cabin that Jacob built. It was neither roomy nor well-insulated. My mother remembers lying in bed looking at the icicles that had formed on the roof of the cabin. The three girls slept together for warmth. The children walked several miles to a one room school house that was actually located over the provincial border in Manitoba.

My sister, niece and I recently visited the area with the mother - it was the first time she had returned to Saskatchewan since she was a child. 

Taken by the writer June 2018

Obviously there were changes but the isolation remains. Homes are far apart on large plot of land. As of 2006 there were only 80 people living in MacNutt. 

Taken by writer June 2018

Winters were particularly isolating. Even now the roads in the area are dirt and gravel only. There would have been no snow clearing. The family rarely went into town and did not even attend church on a regular basis. My mother remembers attending the Christmas pageant at the school. The family would pile into the sleigh with warm bricks wrapped in blankets to keep the cold out.

The 1930s were especially harsh in Saskatchewan and unfortunately Jacob was no longer able to support his family by farming. After over 30 years he abandoned the farm and moved to Winnipeg. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for him. Jacob worked for the Canadian National Railway in Winnipeg. In the late 1940s Jacob and Bena moved to Toronto to join their children. My grandfather died in 1961 when I was two years old so I don't really remember him. I do like this picture of him and me though!

From the writer's collection

On Canada Day I salute Jacob Besler for leaving his home in Europe to come to Canada. He was a 20th Century pioneer and played an important role in settling our western provinces. He helped make Canada the wonderful country it is today through sacrifice and perseverance and I am thankful that he did.

Scots Behaving Badly - Kirk Session discoveries

I'm 25% Scottish. Pretty well ever ancestor in my paternal grandfather's family is Scottish except for one 2x great-grandmother who was English. So I was excited to have an opportunity to join a Scottish genealogical research tour. I chose a tour based in Glasgow as I was hoping to break through a brick wall and learn more about my 3x great grandfather David Walker who emigrated from Glasgow in 1820. I was able to get some searching tips from the helpful people at the family history centres we visited but wasn't able to pin him down. But I did have success researching my Lanarkshire ancestors.

My ancestors came from the town of Strathaven (received a lesson, pronounced Straven!) in the parish of Avondale. They resided on a farm known as the Holms of Glengavel, which still exists today.

National Library of Scotland. Lanarkshire Ordinance Survey 1858

 Like most Scots my family did not own their property - they rented the farm from the Duke of Hamilton, as noted in the 1858 Valuation Rolls

National Records of Scotland. 1858-59 Lanark County Valuation Rolls

My family were the Craigs - my 3x great grandmother Mary Craig married Andrew Fleming on November 4th 1826 

National Records of Scotland. Avendale Kirk Session Proclamation Register 1775-1854

My 2x great grandmother Mary Fleming was their their third child born on May 26th 1829.

National Records of Scotland, Old Parish Registers, Avondale 

In reviewing the Old Parish Registers on Scotland's People I was able to find her two older siblings. I was surprised to note that Mary and Andrew's first son John was born in 1823 before their marriage. John's birth entry tells the tale, he was their "natural son" (ie illegitimate):

National Records of Scotland, Old Parish Registers, Avondale

I consulted the Avondale Kirk Session records for more details. Some background information - each congregation of the Church of Scotland had a Kirk Session which was a panel of elders that dealt with local issues of everyday life such as non-attendance at church. At the time it happened our ancestors were not doubt embarrassed to be called before the Kirk Session but it's exciting for a 21st Century researcher to find the entry.

In June 1823 Mary Craig appeared before the Kirk Session. 

National Records of Scotland, Avendale Kirk Session Minutes 1779-1826

Anti-nuptial fornication was a major sin. She was "exhorted to lay her sin seriously to heart'. Andrew was called before the Kirk Session in July and admitted that the child was his, luckily for Mary. Both parties were "rebuked and absolved from the scandal". Andrew and Mary went on to marry so all turned out well. I can't help but wonder if this was the incentive for their subsequent emigration to Canada.

I couldn't find too much on the Fleming family but it appears that the Craig family were supportive of Mary. When her father John died in 1854 he left a substantial legacy for the time. 

National Records of Scotland, Glasgow Sheriff Court Wills

Her father made it clear in the will that Mary and her sisters were to receive their inheritance without their husbands' consent and that their husbands were not to seize the funds to cover their own debts. Very progressive for the time! I wonder if she ever received her money. Her £20 inheritance is worth £2,500 today. John Craig's estate in total was worth £1500 at the time or £190,000 today. Though not a landowner he was well off.

I found another interesting entry in the Kirk Session records involving John Craig's grandfather also named John (my 6x great grandfather). On 9th February 1735 he came before the Session to complain about Rachel Browning who had slandered his good name accusing him of pursuing her and offering baseness to him. Rachel was commanded to appear before the Session and respond: 

National Records of Scotland, Avendale Kirk Session Minutes, 1734-1757

Rachel returned again to provide witnesses to her various attacks but they were found to be unreliable and she was rebuked for accusing John of inappropriate behaviour. She was adamant to the end that her accusations were well founded:

National Records of Scotland, Avondale Kirk Session Minutes, 1734-1757

I wonder what the truth was? Did they automatically believe John because he was a well respected man in the area? We'll never know. It is interesting to note that John's wife Agnes Campbell was indeed in child bed at the end of 1734 - she gave birth to my 5x great grandfather Robert Craig on Christmas Day 1734. Did she really hear Rachel's cries from the barn?

My trip was productive and I'm able to trace my Craig ancestors to the late 1600s. Hopefully I will be find more interesting Kirk Session records in the future. The Presbyterian Church truly was the centre of Scottish life in 18th and 19th Centuries and beyond. Here is the Strathaven Old Parish Church from a postcard I found on Ebay:

 And to conclude, here is the Craig family crest:

The translation says it all: Live for God and You Shall Have Life.

National Sibling Day

April 10th is National Sibling Day. Most people have siblings, though not as many as in earlier times. My 4x great-grandmother Elizabeth McKay Thomson was one of eleven siblings, all of whom survived to adulthood. She had nine children herself, and most of her siblings had families of the same size.

I have one younger sister. Here's a picture of us from a few years back - she's the little blonde:

She's ok though she insists I tried to kill her when she was a baby. My story is that I was just looking into the crib to see what they brought home when it tipped over. She survived.

My father liked to joke.



















Speaking of my father, he also had a younger sibling. My dad and his brother Mel were close. They were two and a half years apart in age.

My dad on the left, my uncle on the right

Jones Falls, 1938

They remained close into adulthood. My mother recently shared a lovely story about the brothers. Upon his return from WWII my dad underwent major surgery on his leg which left him with a permanent limp. After his discharge from Sunnybrook Hospital he needed to use crutches for a period  of time. At the same time he had fulfilled his lifelong dream of attending the University of Toronto and studying music. Travelling from East York to downtown Toronto by streetcar on crutches would have been a nightmare. My uncle volunteered to drive my dad to class then pick him up later to bring   

him home. This would have been on top of holding down a full time job. 

My grandma Gertie was Russ and Mel's mother. She was one of twelve children, eight of whom survived to adulthood. The Kingswell clan was a close one. My grandmother's photo album is filled with pictures of her sisters and brothers. 

The family moved from Kingston to Toronto, and most of the family remained in the Toronto area. The exception was my great uncle Alf who moved to Buffalo. He was only a year older than Gertie and they remained close with many visits between the families over the years, even during war times. 

Gertie was also close with her younger sister Chrissie, the baby of the family. Chrissie spent lots of time with Gertie's family when the boys were young. My dad had fond memories of going to the movies with his aunt before the war. Gertie was close with her other two sisters Ollie and Liz as well.

So not a lot of heavy research in this post, just a bunch of fun pictures and memories of some of the siblings in my family.

The Matzke Women

March 8th is International Women's Day and March is International Women's History Month. When I hear those words I think of famous and noteworthy women, but I also think of the women in my family. Not a lot of fame but many noteworthy and interesting. Despite being just average folk I've been able to find some of my relatives in the newspaper and I'd like to share their stories in this month's post.

From the writer's collection

Here's a picture of some Matzke women - from left to right they are Josephine Faustman Matzke (my great-grandmother), Christina Matzke Schneider (my great-aunt), Iris Schneider Allard (my first cousin once removed) and Bonita Allard Reis (my second cousin). Before I get to the newspaper article some background on the family.

I've written before about the Matzke family and their long journey to Canada from Romania. The driving force behind this journey was Josephine. She was born on July 8th 1875 in Atmagea Romania, a small village located inland from the Black Sea on the east coast of Romania. Though born in Romania Josephine and her family were of German background and were staunch Lutherans. On February 1st 1894 Josephine married Franz Matzke from the nearby village of Tulcea. Franz had been raised a Roman Catholic but the couple was married in the Lutheran Church. Josephine was in charge from the start!

A young Josephine, from the writer's collection

Josephine had one sibling that I am aware of - her younger brother Karl. Karl had moved to Canada in 1906 and settled in the community of Landestreu in Saskatchewan. Landestreu was eventually renamed MacNutt. No doubt he suggested to his sister the she and her family join him in Canada, and eight years later they did.

The Matzke family - Carolina, Josephine, Christina, Jacobena and Franz 

Life was hard on the Canadian prairies. Franz tried farming but was unsuccessful. He ultimately started a shoe repair business in town. Meanwhile, Josephine managed the family. She was strict - there was no dancing or card playing allowed on Sundays. But her girls were lively and all married young - my grandmother Bena married in 1915 at the age of 17, my great-aunt Lena married in 1919 at the age of 16 and great-aunt Tina married in 1925 at the age of 16.

In 1936 my grandparents left their farm in MacNutt and moved to Winnipeg with their six children. Josephine and Franz followed. It must have been hard to leave behind their two younger daughters as they likely weren't able to visit too often. Lena and her husband Fred had three children, Tina and her husband John had six children.  

And that brings me to the newspaper article that I found. In earlier times newspapers were great sources of social information. I was searching the Winnipeg Free Press for my family and discovered this article dated July 19th 1944:

Courtesy of the Winnipeg Free Press

A visit from Saskatchewan was an exciting occasion for the Matzkes and also made for a great human interest story. The ages of the women make for a neat little fact and I think is a really cool article. You'll note that Tina's eldest daughter Iris continued the family tradition of marrying early and starting a family right away!

The picture may have been taken by the newspaper photographer and presented to Josephine but I don't know for sure. I do know that she treasured the photo and had it nicely framed. Unfortunately all the women in this picture have now passed away. On International Women's Day I'm remembering them and all my other female ancestors.

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Bill and Gertie - A love story

In honour of Valentine’s Day my blog this month is the story of my paternal grandparents Bill and Gertie Brooks. When I was a child I never thought of my grandparents as young people meeting and falling in love. They were just, you know, old! Yet it happened!

William Thomas Brooks was born in Scarborough then moved to Toronto to begin his career as a bookkeeper. He spent 1916-1919 in England and France as a member of the Canadian Expeditionary Forces, returning to Toronto when he was demobilized (see my November 2016 blog for further details). The 1920 Toronto City Directory (prepared in 1919) showed him boarding at 64 Homewood Avenue.

Gertrude Maud Kingswell was born in Kingston Ontario. She spent her formative years living at 32B Clergy Street with her parents and 6 siblings. By 1917 her brothers Ernest and William had moved to Toronto. Gertrude had been working as a stenographer in Kingston. Her employer at the Oddfellows Association provided her with a glowing reference as she prepared to move in 1919. 

The 1920 Toronto City Directory shows her boarding at 29 Saulter Street with her sister Elizabeth and Elizabeth’s husband James Essex.

I have no idea how my grandparents met. They both lived in the east end of the city which was a start. Gertie was Anglican and Bill was Presbyterian so the likely didn't meet at church. Bill worked at John Hillock and Co on George Street, Gertie worked at Eaton’s on Yonge Street which was nearby. Maybe they met at a lunch counter? Maybe they were introduced by friends? Or they met at a dance? We'll never know.

What I do know is that by 1920 they were an item. I have a few mementos of their early days together. This postcard was sent by Bill from Wingham. Not sure why he was in Wingham - there is no family connection that I know of, maybe work? 

He also sent flowers. The card and some petals were carefully saved so the bouquet must have been important to her.

And a birthday card 

The 1921 census was taken on June 2^nd 1921. Gertie was listed with her family living on 471 Queen Street East. I couldn't find Bill or his brothers anywhere in east Toronto or Scarborough. I like to think they were celebrating Bill 's upcoming marriage - Bill and Gertie were married on June 7^th. 

Gertie carefully preserved some flowers from her wedding bouquet as well as her headdress. 

As you can see from the picture she was a flapper bride.

Bill and Gertie had a long marriage. We had a Golden Wedding anniversary party for them in June of 1971. I know they loved having this certificate signed by Bill Davis, as they were both staunch Tories.

Unfortunately, Bill's health began to decline as he entered his 80's. He resided in Sunnybrook Hospital's K Wing with other WW1 veterans for several years. Gertie made the trip every day to visit him and help him eat his lunch. It was a long bus ride from her apartment on Cosburn Avenue – I took the trip with her a few times. Bill’s Alzheimer’s grew progressively worse but Gertie continued with her visits. He likely did not know who exactly she was by the end of his life. Bill died on March 26 1981. In June of that year they would have been married 60 years. 

Gertie died on March 30th 1985 and was laid to rest in Highland Memory Gardens next to her husband of 59 years. Happy Valentine's Day to them both!